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Om-pah-tón-ga, Big Elk, a Famous Warrior
From the collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A warrior of the Omaha tribe, Big Elk sat for his portrait, according to George Catlin, “with his tomahawk in his hand, and face painted black, for war.” Catlin probably painted this image at Fort Leavenworth (in today’s Kansas) in 1832. Big Elk also sat for artist Charles Bird King (1785-1862) some years earlier in Washington. (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 34, 1841; reprint 1973)
Smithsonian American Art Museum’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineOm-pah-tón-ga, Big Elk, a Famous Warrior. 1832. George Catlin, born Wilkes-Barre, PA 1796-died Jersey City, NJ 1872. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.. CC0.
